Bronny Addresses Pressure in Playing with LeBron
With the NBA Draft dilemma finally over and now Bronny playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in the Summer League, it does seem that there are a lot of expectations on the rookie in his coming games with his father LeBron James ahead of the 2024-25 season, which is arguably quite a challenge for any other rookie in the game.
LeBron and Bronny mark as the first father-son duo in the NBA that has seen in so many years of action. The Lakers have already introduced Bronny as one of their two new rookies in the game, the other being Dalton Knecht, who was selected with the team’s 17th pick.
But with the season still a few months away, it does seem that Bronny has seen a spark of confidence in his games with the way he addressed the talks surrounding his coming run with the Lakers and the pressure that comes with playing alongside his father in the next campaign, where the Lakers themselves are pressured to make a deep run after a tough first-round exit in the 2024 Playoffs.
Bronny on Playing with LeBron
At the age of 19, being a rookie can be tough, let alone if you are the son of one LeBron James, who is hailed as the best player in the world. It cannot be denied that James himself has been really a promising player in his own right, but now Bronny joining the fray makes a bigger statement that many people have been waiting for – is his son just as good as him?
“I’m … trying to get my name out for myself,” Bronny said. “I just want to come in and get my work in and get better every day. I never really had a thought of me going to play with my dad. That’s always there to take part of, but it wasn’t a main focus of mine.”
It is worth noting that no father-and-son combo has ever played in the league at the same time, much less playing on the same team, and it does seem that Bronny and LeBron will have to wade the waters of massive media attention ahead of the campaign. This says a lot about the huge expectations that are being put on Bronny’s shoulders even with the 2024-25 season months away from taking flight.
Better Prepared for the Season
Bronny once again reiterated the fact that it was not his father’s legacy in the game that made him decide to take a leap to the NBA right away. However, he did acknowledge the role he played in keeping his father with the Lakers as the Lakers nabbed him with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Still, Bronny claims that he is ready to take on the challenge with better preparation now more than ever.
“It’s for sure amplified the amount of pressure,” Bronny James said. “I’ve already seen it in (social) media and on the internet and stuff talking about (how) I might not deserve an opportunity. But I’ve been dealing with stuff like this for my whole life. It’s nothing different. It’s more amplified for sure, but I can get through it.”
Regardless of what people say, it is a unique time in the NBA to see a father-son duo play together. We have seen how the Lakers have built its roster from scratch in the past few years, but who knows, maybe Bronny can make a big impact than most people think.